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Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

Little Meems is 7 today. I can hardly believe it, but isn't that always the case? Where does the time go?

The past 7 years with her have been indescribable. Wonderful, challenging, sweet, exasperating, loving, spunky, unpredictable years.

She's my little miracle baby, in a way. After years of trying with her brother, she just happened -- no plans, no needles, no waiting. I walked into Target, got a whiff of fresh popcorn, and high-tailed it to the bathroom to throw up. Another first...I never even felt sick with her brother. Days on the sofa eating crackers were followed by three months of weekly migraine headaches and an insane craving for Cocoa Pebbles. I thought then that if those headaches were an omen of what was to come...turns out I think they probably were.

She came bursting into our lives with such impatience and assertiveness...another omen. From the get go, she was a force to be reckoned with. From her nursing, to her sleep habits, to her body temperature, to her ever changing moods -- she was much more high maintenance than her brother had been. I thought, well, here's the difference between boys and girls.

And that may be true, but it's also just her. And as much as it makes me crazy sometimes, it's what I love the most about her. She usually knows just what she wants, and what she doesn't want. She is loud and forceful in a way that belies her very petite frame. She stands up for herself, for which I am thankful. She's imaginative and sweet, compassionate and observant. She's sassy and challenging, with a quick temper and an even quicker tongue, but she's empathetic and encouraging and supportive and loving, so much so that it takes my breath away. She has a twinkle in her eye and an impish nature that draw you in. The dimples and bouncy curls are the icing on the (very scrumptious) cake.

She's a treasure trove of stories...and my best inspiration. She's challenged me to be a better mother. A different mother.